לפעמים
lif'amím
The English phrase 'sometimes' is translated into Hebrew as לפעמים (lif'amím).
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a combination of the preposition ל (to/for) and the noun פעמים (times), literally meaning 'to times'.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is lif'amím.
Did you know?
- The root of לפעמים is the word פעם, which originally referred to a single beat or a pulse. This means that saying 'sometimes' in Hebrew is linguistically tied to the rhythm of a heartbeat.
- The noun פעמים (times) comes from the root פ-ע-מ, which is also the basis for the word פעמון (pa'amón), meaning 'bell'.
- While לפעמים is the standard adverb, Israelis often use the colloquial phrase לפעמים ככה ולפעמים ככה to mean 'sometimes like this and sometimes like that' when describing unpredictable behavior.
Examples in context
- לפעמים אני שוכח את המפתחות.lifamim ani shokhe'ach et hamafte'ot.Sometimes I forget my keys.
- לפעמים כדאי לנו לצאת מהבית.lifamim kedai lanu latzet mehabayit.Sometimes it is good for us to go out of the house.
- היא לפעמים עובדת בשעות הלילה.hi lifamim ovedet be'sha'ot halayla.She sometimes works at night.
Example conversation
Noam and Rotem are talking about their eating habits.
- נועם Noamאת תמיד אוכלת סלט?At tamid ochelet salat?Do you always eat salad?
- רוטם Rotemלא, לפעמים אני אוכלת פיצה.Lo, lefama'im ani ochelet pizza.No, sometimes I eat pizza.
- נועם Noamזה נשמע טעים מאוד.Ze nishma ta'im me'od.That sounds very tasty.
- רוטם Rotemכן, אבל לא כל יום.Ken, aval lo kol yom.Yes, but not every day.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry לפעמים, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
